


The Bacchae

by Hope_Floats_With_a_Floatie



Category: Bacchae - Euripides, Greek Tragedy, Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Attempted Murder, Coming Out, Dionysus being snarky, Dionysus gets PISSED, Female Friendship, Gender Dysphoria, Happy Ending, Internalized Homophobia, Internalized Transphobia, Magic, Multi, OC just trying to mediate, POV Alternating, POV First Person, Pentheus being angry, Police investigation, Prophecy, Secret Identities, Zeus being a somewhat present parent, female liberation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-04-23 00:56:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14320986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hope_Floats_With_a_Floatie/pseuds/Hope_Floats_With_a_Floatie
Summary: Thank you for joining us. And now, our ongoing coverage of the missing persons cases continues. Nearly two-hundred thousand people have been reported as missing in the past week. Police can find that the only commonality is that all the missing persons reported are women. Besides that, there are no other commonalities in these disappearances: no motive, method, ethnicity, or economic status. The mayor, Pentheus Vasileías, claims that he will do everything in his power to find these women and return them to their families.Angelo Erastís has taken over the case to find the missing women of Saint Louis. The mayor- once his best friend in high school- is on the hunt for the man who claimed to be a follower of a Divine named Dionysus. The man claims to know more about his aunt than the city, saying her death was no accident. Pentheus is determined to find his family, but is he ready to face the truth about his history and himself?





	1. Prologue: Returning Home

Euios took a deep breath as he stood outside the doors to his father's home. The house was a large, marble mansion with an all-too obvious resemblance to a temple. It was intimidating to many ordinary people. Euios was nothing but ordinary. All that the home did was fill him with annoyance. He understood that his father was great in comparison to all ordinary humans, but he hardly deserved a massive temple to lounge around in. He sighed, shaking his dirty blonde hair before using the knocker.

"Enter." A booming voice declared from the speakers above the door. Euios rolled his eyes, waiting for the doors to fully open before entering. He walked down the plush gold colored carpeting, ignoring the various servants who gasped as he walked by. He was just looking for his father. 

"Dio!" Euios looked over, seeing his older half-brother wave at him from the top of the stairs. He smiled a little, waving back. His brother ran down to him at superhuman speed, embracing his younger brother tightly.

“How’ve you been, you little party monster?” Hermes asked, ruffling Euios’ long curls. Euios smiled, pinching Hermes’ pointed ears. Hermes threw his head back, peals of laughter filling the room.

“The same. Going around, collecting new things…” Euios hummed. Hermes hummed appreciatively, stepping back to look at Euios’ outfit.

“Is that… genuine leopard fur?” Hermes asked in awe, looking at the fuzzy shirt he was wearing. Euios smiled faintly, shaking his head. “Real leather though, huh?” Hermes nodded at the tight pants the dirty blonde was wearing. The younger brother nodded, grinning. “Damn!” Hermes laughed, clapping him on the back. 

“Yo! Is that Dio?” A wild head of golden blonde hair poked out of a door near the top of the stairs. A tanned hand smoothed the hair back, revealing a blindingly bright smile and golden brown eyes. He hopped on the railway down the stairs, sliding down to greet his half-brother. Euios opened his arms for a hug which Apollo gladly have him. “Been forever since I’ve seen you, lil’ bro!” Apollo squeezed him, smiling from ear to ear. 

“I grabbed some new tunes for you.” Euios grinned, pulling a small device from his back pocket. Apollo gasped, grabbing the flash drive. “You can plug it right into your computer.” Euios advised. Apollo scampered back up the stairs, nearly tripping on his harem pants. Hermes and Euios shared a chuckle. 

“So are you back for sure? Or are you just stopping by?” Hermes asked his little brother, running his fingers through his own dark curls. Euios shrugged. Hermes face fell slightly, making Euios’ heart twist slightly. 

“I was just going to see dad and then go… but I can stay for dinner.” Euios relented, sticking his hands in his pockets. “I missed you guys too, after all.” He felt a sense of relief when a smile returned to his brother’s face. He started walking up the stairs, rolling his shoulders a little. Hermes followed close behind, floating right above the stairs.

“What are you seeing dad about?” Hermes inquired. Euios shook his head, smiling a little. “Something personal?”

“A little personal, yeah.” The dirty blonde replied, looking to his left and right at the landing. He heard death metal and punching sounds from one of the rooms on his left. He grimaced slightly, deciding not to go down towards Ares’ room. “Dad’s still…?”

“Down there.” Hermes pointed to the right. “But you should stop by… her, first. She’s kind of on this ‘you’re all my children, even if your mom is different’ kick right now.” They shared a face.

“I’ll talk to her.” Euios promised, turning to the right. 

“See you at dinner!” Hermes waved before dashing off. Euios smiled to himself, walking down the hall. He looked at the large, polished mahogany doors just in front of him. He knew he could just ignore his stepmother and talk to his father first… but then he would have her and Hephaestus on his back all through dinner. He sighed, turning to the oak door to his right. He gave it a few gentle knocks.

“Come in.” A commanding and feminine voice called. He twisted the doorknob, stepping inside. 

His stepmother’s room was stuffed with elegance. The rug that stretched across the room was excessively ornate, the sheer drapes embroidered with intricate designs. Her desk shone like Apollo’s smile but was nowhere near as inviting. The chair behind it was essentially a throne. He heard rumors that the cushions had gold thread weaved into it and he honestly believed that. The woman sitting in the seat finally looked up.

Hera’s wide brown eyes captured Euios’ in what he knew was meant to be a loving gaze, but he could still see disgust within her eyes. Her graying hair was braided up in a ring around her head, essentially making a crown around her head. Her thin lips forced a smile, cheeks lifting up with the nearly forgotten motion.

“Dionysus. It’s been awhile.” Hera greeted. “Pull up a seat.” Euios resisted making a face at the use of his name, pulling a wooden chair up regardless. “How have you been?” She asked as soon as his butt made contact with the seat.

“Fine.” Euios said simply. He knew she did not genuinely care about how he had been the part three years: she just wanted to start her speech about how much she loved this family and how he needed to be more of a part of it. 

“Just fine?” Hera prodded, tilting his head. “Three years all over Asia and Africa and you’re just feeling fine?”

“Yeah.” Euios shrugged, leaning back a little. “I don’t have malaria or Ebola so.” He attempted a joke. He saw her mouth twist slightly in displeasure at his attitude. He almost wanted to smile.

“Well, we’ve missed you.” She stated, fixing one of her misaligned pens. “It would be nice if you came home more often. Or, if that’s not an option, perhaps sent more letters home?” Euios nearly rolled his eyes.

“Overseas shipping costs a lot and takes a lot of time.” He said as coolly as he could. “Have you gotten my package yet?” 

“Package?” Hera asked, a glint in her eyes. Euios smiled a little.

“I sent a big package of materials from China. I made silk fabric for you from actual silkworms. It should be here soon.” He pulled the crumpled receipt from his back pocket, offering it to her. She took it with a slight grimace, reading it over. A small smile lit her lips. 

“That's very kind of you, Dionysus.” She thanked him, looking into his dark blue eyes. He tucked his blonde hair behind his ear, smiling softly.

“I’ll try to be home more.” He promised softly. Hera gave him a small smile. “Is… dad busy?” He hummed, flipping the curls off the back of his neck. Hera shook her head, letting out a soft sigh.

“He knew you were coming, so he’s ready for you.” She shrugged, looking up at him. Euios got up, giving her a little bow. She gave him a genuine smile before going back to writing in a journal on her desk. Euios walked out, stretching a little. He walked to his father’s study, knocking hard on the wood.

“Come in, my son.” His father’s voice boomed through the door. Euios opened the door, muscles straining as he pulled it open. He slipped inside as quickly as he could, the doors slamming behind him. 

His father’s study was even more elegant and opulent than his wife’s; the only difference was that his father was not compensating for anything. The man behind the desk was almost larger than life. Even sitting down, he was an intimidating figure. The air around him seemed to crackle with electricity, making the hair on the back of Euios’ neck stand straight. Zeus looked up, blue-grey eyes fixing on his wayward son.

“Please, sit.” Zeus gestured to a seat. Euios nearly tripped over himself, walking quickly over to the chair in front of his father’s marble desk. He sat down, trying to meet his father’s grey-blue eyes. Euios prided himself on being able to ignore authority and continue marching to the beat of his own drum. Yet in the face of his father…

“You’re going by Euios now.” Zeus hummed, leaning back in his throne. Euios knew his father meant to ask it as a polite question, but everything out of his mouth (intentionally or not) came out as a command. “Why is that.”

“Dionysus is just so… clunky. And if people know about the divine me, I’ll never truly learn anything from the mortals.” Euios mumbled, looking at his thighs. 

“Dionysus was the name your mother chose for you.” His father hummed. Euios looked up at him in surprise. “She figured you’d be at least partially Divine, so she wanted to have the first part be… godly. Where she got the last part, I have no idea.” Zeus heaved his shoulders, a sigh falling from his slightly smiling lips. 

“Father, I…” Euios tucked his hair behind his ear. “I want to visit her home. I want to get closer to her.” He confessed. “I’m going there tomorrow with your consent and blessing.” He said firmly, looking into his father’s eyes. 

Zeus examined his son, sitting back in his throne. Euios knew that he was not his father’s favorite child: that honor would go to Athena. He still knew that his father had genuinely loved his mother and cared for him deeply. The chance this would be granted was not at all guaranteed, even though he acted like it was. He hoped...

“I will give you my blessing if you reclaim your birth name.” Zeus said firmly. Euios looked up at him curiously. “It is part of who you are, even if it is clunky.” His father offered him a smile. “If you have to hide, of course call yourself Euios. But for Selene and my sake…”

“Of course, father.” I stood, bowing lightly. “I will. I promise.”

“Then you may go to Saint Louis.” Zeus nodded. “You have my blessing and protection.” 

“Thank you, father.” I smiled, bowing again before turning on my heel and walking out of the room. I dearly hoped that the protection extended to the prophecy my golden headed brother had given me all those years ago.

Incest might be okay with the rest of my family, but I would rather not kiss my cousin.


	2. Account 1: Officer Erastís, 08/11/06

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Officer Angelo Erastís gives his [excessively detailed] description of what occurred the afternoon of the first of November. He had been supplied with footage from the cameras in City Hall and traffic light cameras to refresh his memory.

“Yeah, don’t worry.” I- the beautiful and stressed the hell out Angelo Erastís- sighed, walking past two televisions in the City Hall’s hall. “I’ll be back by six, okay? And you’re on dinner duty: no Top Ramen stuff.” My roommate on the other end of the phone laughed, promising not to make prepackaged ramen for dinner. I grinned, ending the call and slipping my phone in my pocket. So far, it’s been a rough day.

My name is Angelo, and I am the chief of the St. Louis police force. It’s not a cushy job being a police chief; sure, I’m not out in the field so much, but I am who everyone turns to if anything goes wrong in the city. I have to be calm and reasonable in the face of reporters who are always looking for a scandal. Sometimes there is a scandal, and I have to deal with the consequences. I have to tell my men not to use state funds to go to strip clubs or that they need to stop harassing minorities because dude, it’s 2006. By now, though, I have been able to make a better police force for my city and nothing had gone wrong for two months.

Honestly, I should have known something was going to happen that would make my life absolute hell. 

The missing women’s case had been growing more every day. No one knew why this is happening and I was at a complete loss. More reports were coming in from panicked men about what they’re going to do without their girlfriend or why we haven’t found their daughter yet. We always had to explain that we lost some of our best police officers because they’ve just disappeared as well. I was just glad that the mayor called me for a meeting: maybe he had some answers.

The secretary who had been leading me down the hall gave a tentative knock on the wooden door that had the mayoral plaque on it. 

“Sir? Officer Erastís is here to see you.” The dark-haired man called, trying to mask his apprehension with a smile. There was silence for a few moments. The secretary bounced on the balls of his feet. I gave him a reassuring smile, hoping it would calm him down at least a little bit. I do know it’s hard dealing with anxiety in such a high stress situation, but in preparation for seeing Mayor Vasileías, I needed to be surrounded by calmer people. 

“Come in.” A rough voice called. The secretary opened the door for me, giving me a tentative smile. I crossed the threshold, ready to have a serious face. My face quickly betrayed me as I saw the man sitting in the chair.

Here’s the thing: when you knew someone from when they were younger, you can see the similar features when they grow up. You’re always going to recognize your friends, and Pentheus Vasileías used to be my best friend in high school. But still, usually people change when they grow up; Pen did not change one bit. His copper hair was the same length (barely reaching his shoulders), his skin still had one freckle in the mass of porcelain, and he still clearly had not been in one fight in his damn life. His brown eyes still had those grey speckles in them that made me feel disoriented to say the least. Still wearing suits that were just a little too big for him. How could someone look just like they did while they were in high school?

“Officer Erastís,” Pentheus stood up, walking around the desk to shake my hand. “I’m glad you could come.” I gave him a smile, shaking his hand with a tight grip. 

“Please, Pen. You can call me Angelo.” I encouraged, letting go of his hand. Pen made a face, crossing his arms. “Gelo?” I proposed, wagging my eyebrows. Penny sighed, rolling his eyes. Classic.

“Angelo, let’s be professionals.” Pentheus glared at me, going back to his seat behind the desk. I snickered: old habits were hard to kill. “Simon, close the door.” The secretary did so. I gave him a little wave. “An- Officer Erastís, sit down.” I did so, sitting down in a comfortable chair opposite of him. 

“This is about the missing women’s case?” I asked, smoothing my hair back. Why was there no good hair gel for my hair type? “We’re trying as hard as we can, but-”

“We just need them back.” Pentheus interrupted me, putting his forearms on the desk. “Epirus and my mother are out there, doing Lord knows what because of that stupid Diviner or whatever-”

“Wait, what?” I leaned forward. This was the first I had heard of any sort of motive: if a Divine was involved, it would explain quite a bit. I saw my old friend’s cheeks flush slightly in embarrassment. Apparently, he was not meaning to tell me about why his and everyone else’s loved ones were missing.

“Nothing. Look, they should be in this area.” He pulled a map out from his desk but I was having absolutely none of this political diversion nonsense.

“Penny, what the hell do you have to do with this?” I asked, slamming my hands on the desk. Pen looked up, a mixture of anger and surprise twisting his typical mask of calm. “I have no damn leads on this, and if you have any information on why they went missing, I need that shi-”

“Don’t curse!” Pentheus hissed, grabbing my collar. The hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. Still, I was not ready to back down.

“You’re finally gonna fight me like a man, huh, Pen?” I goaded him, grabbing his wrists. I knew I could take him in a fight, but he was the mayor and once my friend. We let go of each other after a few tense moments. My heart still was pounding like it did in training. 

“It’s going to be a waste of time, Angelo. But if you need to hear it, then fine.” He relented, brushing his suit off as though some dust had gotten on it while we glared at each other.

I sat back down, giving my most polite ‘tell me more, teacher’ smile. Pentheus rolled his neck as his eyes rolled. He sat down eventually, giving me a look. He had that irritated look that sisters give to their dumb brothers.

“This curly-haired dirty blonde guy had been making a ruckus around my grandfather’s house. The neighbors filed a noise complaint, but he was gone by the time your officers got there.” Pentheus relayed, crossing his legs. “In that time, he came to my office and demanded to see me. So I went out and told him to get out. He was clearly drunk at the time.” His mouth twisted in distaste. “He said that Dionysus was going to destroy me unless I accepted the truth.”

“Do you know what truth he was talking about?” I asked, frowning a little. This seemed like a separate occurrence, but I knew Pentheus was a logical guy. If he truly thought this was nonsense, he never would have mentioned it. 

“He said that my aunt didn’t commit suicide.” Penny’s eyes were burning into mine. He attempted a laugh. “That she was in a relationship with a Divine: Zeus. He accidentally killed her when he showed her his true form. Then the Divine saved the baby they apparently had together. The baby is fully Divine and is named Dionysus, apparently.” Pentheus rolled his eyes. “Obviously, this is complete and utter drunk ramblings. So I told him he was a liar and to get out of my office before I call security.” He leaned back, looking defeated. 

“Then what happened?” I asked. Penny looked at a picture frame at his desk. “Pen…”

“He said he was going to drive all women mad. No women would go to or come back to St. Louis until I respected Selene.” He mumbled. I could see his eyes begin to tear up. I had only ever seen him cry once… but what would make this marble statue cry? “Said they’d all have fun under his rule.” He spat the word ‘fun’ like it was a curse. Tears were clinging to his lashes.

“Oh no, Pen…” I whispered. I knew the conclusion he was drawing. I knew what this looked like to him. No wonder he was freaking out: his little sister Epirus was one of the women missing. She was just sixteen, and if this man meant what Pentheus thought he did? “He can’t possibly-”

“What else could he mean?” Pentheus slammed his fist on the table, a tear jumping from his eye. “He has to be a follower of Aphrodite. That’s why my secretary fainted as soon as he walked in! Because he used his damn-” his voice got lodged in his throat. He shook his head, his body starting to shake. I reached out, gripping his hand. He tried to pull away, but I held his hand in both of mine.

“We’re going to get them back.” I promised, looking into his eyes. “Pen, I’ll get them back. No one is going to touch them. He’s not going to touch Epi or your mom or anyone else.” I kept my voice as steady as possible, like I would with anyone who was panicked in my station. 

Pentheus did not reply verbally. He just nodded, trying his best to keep himself from crying more. I squeezed his hand, giving him my best smile. He calmed down slowly, still a little shaky. 

“Thank you, Gelo.” He said quietly, making me smile. Old habits would always take over. I ruffled his hair lightly, like we used to. He batted at my hand, smiling despite himself. “Stop that, you barbarian.” He commanded weakly, making me laugh more. 

“Okay, King Penny.” I teased, getting up and fixing my uniform. He looked up, a small grin on his face. His eyes had regained that stubborn determination it always had. I was hit with why I was friends with him in the first place: he had that fire in him. He always pushed through, even if it was the worst possible option for him at the time. I just made sure the dumb twerp didn't kill himself in the process. 

“This must be hard for you as well, anyways.” Pen rubbed his eyes. “You must've gotten married or something in the past decade or so?” He tried. I blinked in surprise. First of all, since when did Pen ask people about their suffering? He must have learned some charm while I was off in police academy. And secondly…

“No ladies in my life at the moment.” I smiled awkwardly. “I’ve got a busy and important job, y’know?” I explained. Pen nodded, fixing his jacket. “Of course you know.” I laughed a little, relaxing in the chair. “You tried to score recently?”

“... No.” Pen’s face twisted in disdain at my 'vulgar vocabulary’. “Besides, such an endeavor would essentially be begging the Evening Whirl to write a hit piece.” He smiled a little. I remembered his last opponent's campaign had basically been annihilated by the revelation of his going to a strip club that had hired underage strippers for over five years. People like players to an extent, but a possible pedophile? No way. There were rumors that Pentheus paid the gossip magazine to investigate his opponent's nightlife, but that turned out to be true so…

“Single at thirty.” I chuckled, brushing the idea from my mind. “Sounds like a rom-com setup. Two men, looking for love just past their prime.” 

“You watch that drivel?” He arched a brow, smiling slightly. I shrugged, smiling a little. 

“My roommate likes them.” I hummed. Penny’s brow rose further up his forehead.

“Your salary is… over one-hundred thousand.” He stated slowly, as if he was explaining addition to a very dumb person (which I guess I was in high school). “Why do you need a roommate.” I laughed. Damn, I did a lot of laughing that day. Penny really cracked me up back then.

“Apartments are still expensive as hell, so I have a roommate to split the cost and keep me company.” I explained. “Remember Iapis from school?” 

“Vaguely.” Penny hummed, looking up at the ceiling. “I wasn’t very concerned with anyone else back then.” 

“Yeah.” I snorted, shaking my head a little. “Anyways, he was a total dork but he carried me through every science class so I basically owe him a life debt.” I leaned back, trying to put my feet up on the desk. Penny shot me a look that clearly sent the message I will cut you. I kept my feet away from the top of his ever-so-shiny desk. 

“Well, I’m happy you’re doing well.” Pentheus hummed, smoothing the map he had laid out down. “I think you should explore more of the suburban areas, in case they’re being hidden in basements or something to that effect.” He meant it to sound like a request, but it did come out as an order. I nodded.

“I’ll put my department on it right away.” I promised him, standing up. 

We shook hands again and I took my leave. I looked around city hall as I walked to where I remembered the exit. It was a pretty grand building, but it seemed too… big. There was a legacy here that was too big for anyone to take on, especially at my age. Penny was a solid guy, but was he really able to handle all of this pressure? He was twenty-nine right now and had already spent six years as mayor. Hell, he was elected when he was twenty. I’m a fan of people who work hard to get what they want, but Penny… 

I shook the thoughts out of my head and got in my normal, civilian car. I’d seen the blue corvette and fallen in love with it at first sight. The only thing missing was sick decals and lightning. I told this to my roommate, Iapis, and he helped me out. We spent one lazy weekend spray painting lightning on it, signing our names just below the license plate. It was one of the best weekends of my life. 

I slid into the driver’s seat and turned on my precious baby. The engine purred, making me smile. I checked my mirrors before taking a long look in the pull-down one. I messed with my black hair as much as I dared, trying to find the perfect medium between ‘greaser’ and ‘man you can trust around your daughter’. Only once was that medium ever found at it was by a hairstylist who moved to New York City as soon as he got hired by some big name fashion people. I wish I’d kept the picture he’d taken. 

My fingers touched the scars on my face lightly. They weren’t too bad, just little nicks that never really healed from arrests nearly gone wrong. The only one that made me self conscious was the one right below my left eye. That was a way too close call. The scar was jagged and the knife itself had scratched my skull. The woman had overpowered me, screaming and screaming... I sighed to myself, pulling out of the parking space. It’s best not to think about trauma when you’re driving, you know? I focused on driving back home to my roommate.

And that’s what happened November first, 2006. At least, from what I remember. Yeah, I know it was only a week ago, but a lot of things happened this week! Seeing my old friend and hearing that a possible Divine was in our midst was actually the most normal part of the week. After Wednesday, me and Penny’s lives went straight into a black hole of chaos.


	3. Account 2: Iapis Gerizon 08/11/06

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iapis' account of what occurred on the night of 01/11/06.

I’m never going to forget that evening. I don’t know if I could. My eyes were permanently opened and it…

Yeah, yeah, I’ll start from the beginning.

My name’s Iapis Gerizon. I’m Chief Angelo’s roommate. We were friends in high school. He was such a jock back then: basketball, lacrosse, wrestling… that was just the stuff he did during school! Outside, he legitimately took morning runs around his neighborhood. Now, is that some white guy nonsense? Absolutely. Am I friends with him anyways? Unfortunately.

So I was in our apartment on Wednesday, making some taco meat. It was just hamburger and some nice seasoning, but you’d be surprised how often Angie screws even that up. That’s pretty much why I always made dinner. Then, the doorbell rang.

I didn’t answer it right away: if it was Angie, he’d ring the doorbell twenty more times because he couldn’t find his key. This was just one ring, though. Maybe it was the mailman? But he’d already come, so it couldn’t be him. I put the hamburger on low heat and walked to the door. 

The guy at the door was someone I recognized: Helius. He always sang at open night at the bar Angie and I go to on Fridays. He’s… decent. Like, it’s not bad? Just really Dave Matthews sometimes. He hit on anyone in his proximity, so Angie and I kept our distance. Despite all of that, he kept playing stuff I happened to like. Hell, he did a guitar cover of Teenagers the week before. I knew he somehow knew I liked those songs because he always threw the biggest wink in my direction. Angie always laughed, nudging me and saying ‘I think he’s into me’. My response was always taking a shot of Scotch. 

I was not as polite as I should’ve been when I saw it was him. I mean, would you? It was one thing having this dude constantly hitting on me with his dumb boy band looking self: it’s another thing when he knows your address. So I asked him what the hell he was doing here and might have suggested calling security.

Helius didn’t seem as cocky as usual though. I mean… it’s hard to explain. He was quiet. I tried to close the door, but there was some force or something keeping my arm at my side. He asked if he could come in and I said sure. I didn’t want him to come in, but for some reason my mouth didn’t cooperate.   
He walked into my apartment, looking around. I closed the door, wondering what the hell was going on with me. I started rubbing my forehead: my brain felt like it was buzzing. I tried to ask Helius what was going on but the next thing I knew his hands were on my shoulders, gripping really tightly.

He told me… he wasn’t Helius. My vision started blurring and my ears started ringing. He shook me, repeating the statement. I felt like fainting. Then all of a sudden, there was a bright light.

I saw him then. He was Helius, but he was also so much more. There was divine light glowing under his skin, a heavenly aura around him. It was then that he sighed in relief.

“Good, you can see.” He said to me, smiling. I felt like warm sun rays were being shone right on my face. “Now, I need your help. I need to save my brother and his cousin.”

“Who are you?” I asked. I really wish I could say I said this all commanding like Gelo does, but nope. It came out all slurred like I was on my tenth vodka shot.

“I’m Apollo.” He stated. “I’m Divine. And I’m here to give you a gift. I want you to be one of my prophets. It could save someone’s life.”

“Wait.” I managed. “Save someone’s life?”

“Yes.” He answered somewhat curtly, clearly ready to move ahead. “Now-”

“Wouldn’t it be better for me to be a doctor or something? Heal people?” I asked him. He went to open his mouth before closing it. “You can heal people, right? That’s what you did to me right now.”

“Right.” He hummed, seemingly considering it. “That would help save them.” He said absently before looking up at me. “Okay, healer Iapis, are you ready?”

I wish I could say I pushed him away, demanding for answers from him. Y’know, asking him what this healing stuff would do to me. But… well, I didn’t. I nodded on my own. I had complete control of myself and I told him I was ready.

Then I passed out. Not very graceful, I know. I woke up with a buzzing under my skin. My… everything felt healthier. I felt like I could run beside Angie. I felt… awesome. 

Angelo had put me on the couch while I was knocked out and had a wet towel on my forehead. I took it off as soon as I woke up, getting ready to yell at Angie. But he hugged me as soon as I sat up, which always wipes my mind of worry. 

“Dude, are you ok?” He asked me. Angie cares too much. It’s so gay… but it’s not like I mind having someone care about me. I mean, why would you get mad over someone caring about you? If you care about them just as much…

I assured him that I was okay and hugged him back. He got up, hissing a little when he used his hand to push himself up. I took his hand in mine, looking it over. I worked as a nurse at a pediatrics office: I had the day off because almost all of the staff was gone. So I checked his hand over.

“Burned myself with the pan… it was an accident.” He promised, still clearly embarrassed. I sighed, giving his a gentle squeeze. Then this light came from my hand and the wound started healing itself. We both freaked out at first. He asked me what they hell was going on and I told him what happened. He was surprised, of course, but he believed me. I was relieved and it was a pretty nice moment.

I asked him if he knew what Apollo was and he explained he was Divine. I’ve had a lot of patients claim to be children of Divine or cursed by the Divine. Some of those people do have extraordinary strength or intelligence, others are just really good horse riders. There were so many Divines out there for all sorts of things: love, war, justice, farming. Whatever someone was really good at, they attributed it to that Divine. I never really went out of my way to research what they were, figuring it was some fad I was just missing out on. Angie claimed not to know much either, and I believed him. I mean, he was just my dumb jock friend. Why would he know anything?

I guess I was just the dumb nerd friend.


	4. Account 3: Angelo Erastís 08/12/06

The day after that, I went on patrol with one of my officers. I’d figured after my meeting with Pentheus that I should probably find out where this Divine chaser was. St. Louis was not exactly a hotspot for Divine Chasers, but we had a few people every now and then who swore that Aphrodite cursed them to want to have sex with their step-son or that Apollo had given them the gift of prophecy. We usually sent them for a psych eval. It was sad, but it really had to be done. 

 

“Wait, Erastís.” My partner stopped the car. “Are those… women?” I looked forward, feeling my heart leap with joy. 

 

Sure enough, there was a gathering of about five girls walking on the crosswalk. I told him to pull over, figuring we should follow them. It had been days since we’d seen any women in the city, so finding them walking around was surprising in one of the best ways. I did know every good thing came at a cost though, so I told him we should follow them quietly. 

 

We watched them, seeing them walk towards the zoo. We began following once they were about fifteen feet ahead of us. I noticed all of them were wearing real fur coats. Their bottoms ranged from flowing skirts to khakis. Hell, aside from the coats, none of them looked alike. It was… weird. They all seemed to be getting along well, though. Chatting and laughing, occasionally shushing each other. It just seemed weird because it was so normal.

 

They walked into the zoo, me and my partner following somewhat closer. We noticed the guards were passed out. I poked one of them but he didn’t wake up. My partner and I exchanged a look: something was up. 

 

We continued following the girls, hiding occasionally behind pillars just in case. The girls ended up going into the leopard exhibit, much to our shock and surprise. Soon, we noticed, that the big cats were nowhere ready to attack. They were being pet by this dirty blonde guy. I got a little closer to get a better look at him.

 

He looked rather laid back. He wore an oversized coat with ripped skinny jeans. His hair was curly and matted in some areas. The only things that really scared me about this guy was the fact that he was petting two jaguars like it wasn’t a big deal. Like… what? Plus, he kind of looked like he was glowing. Big tip off that he’s not normal.

 

“My lord.” All of the girls bowed once they were close enough to him. Blondie smiled, gesturing for them all to sit around him. All of them did so with different levels of eagerness. One of the younger girls scooted closer to one of the leopards, petting the docile killing machine gently. The leopard leaned into her hand, purring loudly. Blondie chuckled, watching her with delight. One of the girls cleared her throat. 

 

“My lord, we don’t know how long the police will be out looking for us.” She said clearly. I blinked. I knew that voice. That was Penny’s sister, only more… well, she’d definitely grown up over the best few years. Her general cattiness was now a powerful presence. I would feel proud if she wasn’t working with a kidnapper.

 

“It doesn’t matter how long they look, my dear.” Blondie hummed, scratching behind one of the leopard’s ears. “They’re not going to find you, let alone capture you.” He chuckled. 

 

“What if they find you, my lord? What then?” Epirus snapped, crossing her arms. Blondie sat up a little.

 

“If they act against me, danger will befall them.” He still sounded playful, but chills ran down my spine when he said that. My partner and I booked it out of there as quietly as we could. 

 

We got in the car, driving to Pentheus to deliver the news. My partner wasn’t too happy that we were doing it, but I was driving the car so we went there anyways. I parked us in the parking lot, heading towards the front.

 

We met up with Penny’s grandfather and a family friend of theirs: Tiretheus. Cadmus was the mayor of St. Louis until he quit right after his daughter's sudden death. Tiretheus had this great sort of prophecy ability: he mostly used it to help politicians make better decisions. I asked them what they were up to.

 

“Well, we heard Dionysus was here.” Tiretheus explained. “We decided we would try to meet with him.” 

 

“Wait, you believe in Dionysus?” My partner asked. Tiretheus laughed a little, nodding. 

 

“Of course. The Divine walk among us: you should know that by now.” Tiretheus chided lightly. I knew Tiretheus was incredibly smart, but his belief in the Divine made people think he was crazy. When my partner tried to refute him, the door opened.

 

“Grandfather! What are you doing here?” Pentheus demanded. He looked completely disheveled: his curly hair sticking up in twelve different directions (probably from pulling it so much) and dark circles forming under his eyes. “And Tiretheus? Weren’t you supposed to be in New York?”

 

“I was. But we came up here to see the Divine Dionysus.” Tiretheus smiled his typical sunshine smile. Penny’s face darkened.

 

“Are you kidding me? You believe in him?” Pentheus looked directly at his grandfather, pointing at Tiretheus. Cadmus sighed resignedly, his wrinkles looking like they got worse.

 

“Yes, I do.” Cadmus had this great voice. It carried so much power in such few words. “Tiretheus’ wisdom is not something I’ll reject.”

 

“Dionysus isn’t real!” Pentheus snapped. “None of these Diviners are and you know it.” He growled at Tiretheus. “You’re just scamming people to make them worship some demonic-”

 

“You need to learn respect.” Tiretheus snapped back. “You’ve seen what the Divine can do if you show a bit of deference. Demeter- the provider of all great grain- helped make our meals. You know she did that.” Pentheus sucked his teeth, clearly still angry. “She provides sustenance for our bodies: Dionysus provides sustenance for our souls.”

 

“I thought that was Apollo.” Pentheus sneered. “Or can you not keep them straight at this point?”

 

“Dionysus gives us wine! Release!” Tiretheus insisted. “Liquid nourishment, if utilized properly.”

 

“I don’t have time for this.” Pentheus snapped, walking back to the building. Tiretheus followed him, continuing to argue with the young mayor. Cadmus sighed, sitting at a bench. 

 

“You… actually believe all of this?” My partner asked the former mayor. Cadmus gave him a small smile.

 

“Yeah. I do.” His voice was incredibly tender, like he was talking to a kid. My partner looked at me for assistance. I jerked my thumb at the mayor’s building: we didn’t have time for this fight. We headed in, waiting until Tiretheus left. 

 

It was about fifteen minutes before the old man stormed away, security at his heels. Pentheus’ secretary told us to go in. I told my partner to wait outside: there was no way she could handle Penny like this. So I went in alone, ready to face the bull that was my sorta best friend.

 

His office was just as much of a wreck as his clothes. He had pushed bookshelves out of the way to make way for a map of the state. There were pins stuck in seemingly random locations, personal notes stuck under some of them. Crumpled notes littered the floor. Pentheus’ desk was rather clean in comparison. When I walked in, though, he was popping two pills from a black bottle whose label was ripped off. He shoved it back in his desk once he noticed me.

 

“Any news?” He managed, clearing his throat. I gave him a small smile, stepping forward. He fixed his hair, sitting up in his chair.

 

“We found the blonde guy you mentioned with a group of girls in the zoo.” I watched his face light up with joy. “I saw your sister there too.”

 

“Really?” He gasped, getting up. “Why didn’t you grab her? I’m glad you found her, but-”

 

“He was petting two awake leopards.” I replied. He blinked a few times before shaking his head.

 

“Probably a zookeeper.” He dismissed, mostly to himself. “Bring him in as soon as possible, Angelo.” He ordered me. Honestly… I couldn’t resist that face. The kid looked happier than he had in years, and I didn’t want to take it away. So I saluted him before leaving the room.


End file.
